Utah Real Estate & Information

Dec. 17, 2015

Traverse Mountain

Traverse Mountain Lehi's Most Popular Neighborhood

Location

Traverse Mountain is located in a very convenient location on the boarder or Salt Lake County along the east bench that offers an elevated view of Utah County and Utah Lake. Located in the middle between Salt Lake City and Provo.

About Traverse Mountain

Traverse Mountain is a master planned community in Lehi that started more than a decade ago and is growing stronger than ever.  At Traverse Mountain you will find a large outlet mall, Cabbalas, Adobe Campus and many restaurants near-by, parks, tennis courts, splash pad and pool, clubhouse along with several home subdivisions including townhomes, condos, luxury custom homes and apartments. Currently there are several hundred homes at Traverse Mountain with home values from the $300,000's to close to one million dollars with most homes in the area valued under $500,000.

Traverse Mountain Real Estate Outlook

Traverse Mountain is growing in popularity as many large office building are springing up at a pace never seen in the areas.  There are literally thousands of jobs coming to the area with new offices opening almost monthly.  With jobs comes demand for housing and Traverse Mountain has and will be a huge benefactor.  Traverse Mountain home values have risen by over 20% in 2015 with expected appreciation in 2016 to be very strong as well. 

Pros & Cons of Traverse Mountain

Pros - Great location with easy access up and down the Wasatch Front, great views, outlet mall in your neighborhood, several nearby restaurants, great neighborhood parks and it is much more affordable than nearby Draper Real Estate.

Cons - The area is know to be a little more windy and weather a bit more extreme.  While there are several shopping centers near-by there is currently no indoor malls so you may find yourself driving into Salt Lake County or down to Provo to do some of your shopping.  As Lehi & Traverse Mountain continue to grow it is just a matter of time until a large indoor mall is built.

To learn more about Traverse Mountain real estate and homes for sale be sure to visit UtahRealtyGroup.com or call Scott Rozier 801-471-9443

Posted in Utah
Sept. 23, 2015

Best City in Utah County

Relocating to Utah County?

If you are thinking about relocating to Utah County one of the hardest decision you will make is what city do you want to call home.  Utah County has several wonderful cities to choose from including Provo, Orem, Lindon, Mapleton, Lehi, Alpine and several other.  Here are a few reasons that you may want to consider Provo, home of BYU as your city of choice.

Why Provo May be Utah Counties Best City to Live in

Provo has long been know for BYU and being a university town.  While it certainly is, it is also so much more.  Over the past couple of decades Provo has really grown up and now offer much more than just a university town.  Provo offer a great and vibrant downtown area with several unique shops, dining options and boutiques. Provo's downtown is clean and welcoming.  

Provo is no stranger to the national media for being one of the best cities in America to live.  

Forbes rated Provo Utah as the 4th best city for business and careers.

Livability.com places Provo as one of the best cities in America

Outside Magazine ranks Provo as #2 best city in America

Today.com ranks Provo as the happiest city in America

According to Nerd Wallet Provo is the most generous city in America

Provo offers many entertainment options including several festivals.  On the 4th of July Provo holds and annual parade with activities all day long and one of the nations largest stadium firework show held in the BYU football stadium called the Stadium of Fire.  Each year there are several marathons and run races, bike races and other activities for the whole family.

Provo has a Great Location

Provo is located just 12 miles from Sundance Ski Resort, 40 Miles for Park City and less than 45 miles from Salt Lake City making it easy to access entertainment up and down the Wasatch Front. From Provo you can take the Front Runner to access many destinations in Utah and Salt Lake County including Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake International Airport.

Provo Real Estate and Affordability

Compared to many cities Provo is still one of the more affordable places to live.  Provo electricity rates are far lower than the national average with power costing less than 10 cents per kilowatt hour the last time I checked.  

Provo Homes for Sale

To get an idea of what type of home you can expect to purchase in your budget I have prepared some links to current homes for sale that are listed on the Realtor's MLS.

Homes for Sale in Provo for under $300,000

Homes for sale in Provo priced between $300,000 to $500,000

Homes for sale in Provo priced from $500,000 to $700,000

Provo luxury & million dollar homes for sale

For more information about Provo real estate click here or call Scott Rozier 801-471-9443

 

 

 

Posted in Utah Real Estate
Aug. 27, 2015

Seller Paid Closing Costs

Asking the Sellers to Pay for the Buyer's Closing Costs?

Throughout Utah it is very common to ask the sellers to pay part or all of the buyers closing costs when making an offer.  It is especially common with FHA or similar type financing.  When the sellers pay part or all of the buyer's closing costs it allows the buyer to purchase the home with less out of pocket expenses.  

What Are closing costs?

Closing costs are broken down into 2 catagories.  There are non recurring closing costs such as escrow fees & loan fees.  These are one time fees.  There are also recurring closing costs such as pre-paid property taxes & pre-paid insurance and interest.  A portion of these fees are paid in escrow and again paid each year.

How Much Are the Closing Costs?

Overall the total closing costs are less than 3% of the amount borrowed. If you were getting a loan for $300,000 the amount of the total closing costs should not be more than $9,000.

Are There Ways to Reduce Closing Costs?

Outside of asking the buyer to pay for closing costs there are a few ways to reduce your closing costs when purchasing a home.  

  1. Part of the closing costs are pre-paid interest.  All buyers must pay in advance the interest on the loan for the remaining days of the month that they close in.  Should an escrow close on the first of the month the buyer will have to pay all of the interest for the entire month whereas if they close on the last day of the month the interest paid will only be for 1 day reducing the closing costs needed to close. 
  2. Shop your mortgage.  All lenders very in the closing costs they charge and by comparing lender fees in addition to interest rates, you can often save hundreds and even thousands of dollars in closing costs. Don't be afraid to negotiate your closing costs with you lender.
  3. If you are willing to trade a slightly higher interest rate for reduced fees, you can usually reduce the needed closing costs substantially and it is possible to eleminate them completely in some cases.

How Much of My Closing Costs Should I Ask The Seller To Pay?

Most lenders will allow for the seller to pay up to 3% of the purchase price towards the buyer's closing costs but just because that is what they allow do not ask for more than you need.  If the seller agrees to pay $9,000 of the buyer's closing costs but the buyer only need $6000 the buyer looses out on $3,000 that could have been used to negotiate a reduction in the purchase price. So always know your closing costs in advance of making an offer if you are going to ask the seller to pay your closing costs.

Questions?

With over 15 years experience selling residential real estate, please call Scott Rozier at 801-471-9443

 

For all Your Salt Lake & Utah County Real Estate Needs Please Visit www.UtahRealtyGroup.com

Posted in Utah Real Estate
July 22, 2015

Selling Your Home For Top Dollar

The 10 Commandments of Selling Your Home for TOP Dollar

If You Are Breaking One of These 10 Commandments Your Home May Not Be Selling for Its Full Potential

 

1. Thou Salt Not Market Your Home With Lousy Photos

Over 90% of Realtors do not use professional photography for their listings.  There are a surprising amount of bad photos on the MLS.  Bad pictures can be the kiss of death when trying to sell a home for its full potential.  Make sure you only allow your home to be marketed with photos taken by a professional.

 

The pictures below are taken from the new listing posted today on the Utah MLS.  These are otherwise nice homes with poor quality pictures.  Don't let this happen to you.

Bad Pictures of listed homes in UtahBad pictures is kitchen making it look too smallBad front picture Utah homeBad Picture is kitchen - blurryBad picture of bedroom

2. Thou Salt Not Submit Your Home Into The MLS Without Pictures

No Image AvailableA surprising number of homes are initially submitted into the MLS without pictures.  We have all see the “Images Coming Soon” to newly listed homes for sale.  Your home has the most interest when it is just listed but the interest is very limited without the home’s photos.  Sometimes the photos do not show up for 3, 4 or more days after the home has been placed for sale on the Realtor’s MLS.  Do not allow your home to be put in the local MLS without the photos.

3. Thou Salt Not Do Single Party Listings

It is almost never in your best interest to do a single party listing with a buyer. I have talked with many potential sellers in the past and many have told me that they are not really interested in listing their home for sale on the MLS but if I know of a buyer that is interested that they would be willing to sell.  This may be a way to get your home sold but rarely does it bring TOP DOLLAR.  Getting top dollar requires your home to be marketed to the most qualified buyers as possible all at the same time.  The MLS is the most important marketing tool available to you to help your home sell for the most money possible.

4. Thou Shalt Not Sell Your Home in 1 Day

People really love the idea of selling their home in ONE day.  Many agent will advertise the fact that they listed and sold a home in 1, 2 or 3 days.  Is this really in the best interest of selling a home for “Top Dollar”? Usually when a home sells in a very sort time period the buyer is able to purchase a home below market value. More days on the market means a little more work for you and your agent but usually results in a higher sales price. The best way to prevent your home from underselling from too few days on the market in a competitive market is to advertise on the MLS that offers will not be reviewed by the seller until a date 3 to 5 days after the initial listing date. 

5. Thou Shalt Hire a Professional Showing Service

What is a professional showing service?  A professional showing service coordinates all home showings with the buyer’s agent.  Let’s face it realtors are often busy and cannot always answer their phone.  When a buyer’s agent call to show a home and cannot get ahold of the listing agent it makes showing the home inconvenient and in some cases the showing is never arranged. With a professional showing service calls are never missed and a buyer’s agent can easily set up a showing. The more showings = more interested buyers =  more offers = higher offer price

6. Thou Shalt Not Over List or Under List Your Home

Setting the BEST list price for your home cannot be over emphasized.  If your home is listed for sale at a price too high or too low based on sound information, chances are your home will have a hard time selling for “Top Dollar”.  Homes that are drastically overpriced tend to miss out on the initial excitement a new listing brings to the market and once a home get aged on the market it tends to get a negative stigma that can be hard to overcome.  Underpricing a home can produce a very quick sale but usually the home will sell below market value, even with multiple offers.  When determining a list price for your home, look at the market data provided by an experienced Realtor objectively. 

7. Thou Shalt Not Rely on Zillow

Zillow offers many interesting and fun tools but the information is often outdated and unreliable. Do not rely on Zillow or any other automated home valuation services to determine your home’s value or list price.  This is the job of an experienced Realtor with reliable information obtained from your local MLS, the Realtor’s database.  

8. Thou Shalt Not List Your Home with a Friend or Relative Who Is Otherwise Unqualified

Selling a home for the most money possible takes the efforts of a full time experienced Realtor.  You need an agent that has the right knowledge, tools, strategy and systems in place to make the most out of your home’s potential.

9. Thou Shalt Not Enter Into a Long Term Listing Contract

It is important for your Realtor to feel you are committed to them as your listing agent so they will spend the money and resources to properly market your home.  At the same time you should be able to cancel a listing if the listing agent fails to deliver on their promises.  In most markets a 90-day listing agreement is appropriate.  If you are selling a luxury home a longer commitment may be justified.

10. Thou Shalt Consider Our Services

If you are in Salt Lake or Utah Counties we would love the opportunity to further discuss our real estate services.  I have over 15 years experience selling residential real estate and I would love to help you reach your goals. Call Scott Rozier 801-471-9443 at your earliest convenience.

Posted in Utah
May 1, 2015

How to Negotiate With a Realtor

Is Negotiating Commissions With Your Realtor the Best Strategy?

YES...But Not Until You Have Negotiated What Really Matters.

While negotiating commissions is certainly a part of negotiations with your Realtor, it is not the most important part of the negotiation.  Before you ever begin talking about the commissions being charged by your Realtor it is important to negotiate what really matters.  So what really matters? What really matters is making sure your home sells for the most money possible. Selling your home for "top dollar" should be more than just a sales line. 

These Services Should be Included But Unless Negotiated, Chances Are They Are Not

  • Professional Photography

Most Realtors think taking pictures with their phones a compact camera is acceptable. Why do I say most Realtors? Unless you are in a high end luxury home there is less than a 10% chance your Realtor will hire a professional photographer. Realtors are great at many things but they are not photographers. 

Why is good photography important? Over 90 percent of all buyers find the home that they end up purchasing on the internet. Buyers often times make decisions as to weather they want more information or want to visit the property based on the pictures. If pictures can say a thousand words you want to make sure the pictures used to market your home are saying the right words. Professional photography will increase interest and showing of your home ultimately helping your home sell faster and for more money. Remember, unless you negotiate professional photography as a condition of getting the listing chances are this service will not be included.

  • Showing Service

Showing Service is a newer service being offered to Realtors that is a true win win for both Realtors and their clients. The cost to your Realtor is about $30.00 a month for multiple listings. The service coordinates all showings with the home owner directly allowing your realtor to focus on selling your home.  There is nothing more frustrating for a showing agent then not being able to get ahold of the listing agent to schedule an appointment to show. Realtors are busy showing homes, meeting with clients and are not always available to take phone calls.  Homes with a Showing Service tend to be show more often and more showing usually mean more money for the seller. In addition to setting up showings the service also collects needed feedback to assist the seller with pricing and other needed improvement that may be needed to get the home sold.

  • Virtual Video Tour 

Virtual Tours are another way for Realtors to get additional exposure for your home. While the percentage of the people that click on the virtual tour may be low, those that do are important and are usually the most interested in the home. If you have many people buying homes from out of town in your market a virtual should will be very valuable to these buyers and some of these buyers will make a decision to purchase based on the tour without ever visiting the home in person. A virtual tour can present your home in a professional manor helping it stand out from the competition that will increase interest, showing and help improve your bottom line.

  • Aerial Photography

Most homes will benefit with the use of aerial photography adding another dimension to online advertising. With the use of aerial drones becoming more common this service is readily available and can really help your home stand out in a competitive market. Chances are this service will not be included unless negotiated with your listing agent before signing the listing agreement.

  • List Hub or Similar Service

List Hub is a service that puts your home a hundreds of addition websites exposing your home to a millions of buyers across the country and in your local market. It is a fast and effective way to get the word out immediately about your home being for sale.

Additional Selling Tips

  •  Never accept an offer on the first day the home is listed

It is usually not a good adea to accept an offer on the first few days a home is listed for sale.  Out of respect to the potential buyer we should respond to offers promptly but setting up the expectation in advance to when the offers will first be reviewed by the sellers is critical especially in a competitive market. All seller agents should be advised in advance that the seller will not review offers until the home has been listed on the MLS for (x) amount of days. This simple strategy can net the sellers thousands of extra dollars at closing.

  • Never accept an offer before the home has been listed on the MLS

Often Realtors have pocket listings of people that are preparing to sell or planning on selling but have not listed their home on the MLS yet. In this scenario the sellers almost always loose even when their agent reduces commissions to represent both sides of the transaction. Sellers often focus on the commissions they may be saving and not realizing they may be underselling their home by thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars. NEVER accept an offer until the home has been listed for sale on the MLS. 

By negotiating with your agent to include these services as well as others that may be important in your market, you will be focusing on what really matters to your bottom line. If you have questions or if I can be of help please contact me at www.UtahRealtyGroup.com

 

Posted in Utah
Dec. 8, 2014

Million Dollar Homes in Utah

So What Type of a Home can you Buy in Utah for One Million Dollars?

Utah Million Dollar HomeIf you are living in the Bay Area of California you may know a million dollars will only purchase a modest home in many communities.  Watch Flip it to Win It on A&E and you will soon realize that a million dollars does not buy much in most Bay Area communities.  So what kind of home will a million dollars buy you in Utah?

It can very depending on the city and neighborhood.  Park City is Utah most expensive city in Utah to buy a home in with several Utah County homes offering the best value on the Wasatch Front.

Below are several links to the million dollar listings in each community.  Just click on each to view the million dollar homes for sale 

Million Dollar Utah Homes

Salt Lake City

Draper

Sandy

Cottonwood Heights

Park City

Lehi

Mapleton

Provo

Orem

Alpine

Posted in Utah
May 15, 2014

What is Your Home Worth?

So What is Your Utah Home Value?

Today most people tend to use Zillow to get an idea of their home's value.  While this tool can be useful there are certain drawbacks that you need to be aware of before relying on it to price your home when selling.  I recently showed a home in Salt Lake City Utah that was listed for sale-by-owner and the list price was at the Zillow value.  In my opinion Zillow undervalued this home by about 5% to 10%.  Why did this occur?  Remember Zillow tends to rise the value of the undesirable homes in the neighborhood while lowering the value of the neighborhoods most desirable homes.  How does this happen.  It assumes all homes in an area are equal just some are larger and some are newer.  It does not distingish between the "Toyota Tercel home", or the "Toyota Camry home" or the "Lexus home".  To automated valuations all homes are "Toyota" so to speak.  

Automated Home Valuations are not the Most Reliable

When selling my last home Zillow undervalued the home by more than $150,000 of what I actually sold it for.  My home was a custom home on 2 acres that was 100% landscaped in an area near tract construction homes that Zillow or any computer generated value would have an impossible time giving a reliable valuation.  On the other side of the coin I just listed a home that Zillow valued at $422,000 where the real value is closer to $380,000. It is a tract home with several same model match homes that have sold in area with none selling over $385,000.  This home is located near some custom homes with similar square footage that are superior but the automated valuation cannot distinguish the difference so it values the home too high.  In Utah it is very common for homes to very significantly in value within the same neighborhood. 

So why Does a Reliable Home Valuation Matter?

Well it doesn't unless you are wanting to sell.  If you underprice your home when selling there is a good chance you are leaving money on the table that could be in your pocket.  If you overprice your home you may miss your chance to make a good impression on the market and your listing may get aged and market stale.  Everybody seems to be the most interested in the newest listings.  Understanding your home's value "sweet spot" is as important as marketing your home.

Automated valuations should only be used to give you an idea of value and never relied upon for establishing a list price when selling.  To determine your home's value you really need to seek the opinion of an experienced Realtor.  That is where I come in.  I am a Realtor with years of experience that can help you accurately determine your home best list price and probable sales price.  You can contact me by phone at 801-471-9443, text, email: rozierrealtygroup@gmail.com or on my website at www.UtahRealtyGroup.com. My name is Scott Rozier and I want to be your Realtor.

Posted in Utah
Sept. 15, 2013

Utah Best Cities to Live in

So What Are Utah's Best Cities to Live In?

Provo Utah Ranked #1 in USA for Best Overall Well Being

In a gallup poll released March 25th 2014 Provo Utah ranked first for overall well being.  More than 500,000 people across the country were interviewed and Provo topped the list of almost 200 cities.  Some of the criteria used to determine well being were do people feel safe in their neighborhoods, do they like their jobs, and do they feel healthy.  For more information see the article in USA Today.

According to the United States Census Bureau there are 2,855,287 people living in Utah as of 2012 with approximately 2/3 of Utah's population living between Ogden and Spanish Fork along the Wasatch front. There are literally dozens of cities so which are Utah's best?

Most recently CNNMoney.com ranked 3 Utah cities in the top 50 cities in America to live in.  These cities included Farmington at 14th, Draper at 25th, and Linden at 29th. So is Farmington the best city in Utah to live in?  I don't think most people in Utah would agree that Farmington is the best city in Utah to live in however it does have a lot going for it. It received praise for his close location for commuters to Salt Lake City and its outdoorsy charm as well as its 200 million Station Park Development, office space, housing, stores and many restaurants. Additionally Farmington has good public schools and low crime. Farmington has approximately 20,000 residents and is part of a larger metropolitan area just north of Salt Lake City. The median home price in Farmington is $281,047 as of 2012.

The city of Draper ranks 25th on CNNMoney.com's list of the best cities to live in America. Draper is certainly one of the best cities Drapre Templein Utah to live in. In my opinion the Draper\Sandy area is Utah's best area to live in for several reasons including, close proximity to Salt Lake City as well as its proximity to the Provo/Orem area. It is located within 30 minutes from 7 ski resorts including Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Park City, The Canyons & Deer Valley. This area also boasts some of Utah's finest dining with several restaurants, eateries, fast casual and fast food establishments. The ski resorts bring in millions and millions of dollars each year to the local economy. Residents have outdoor activities on all sides of them with easy access to the Jordan River Parkway to the West and Corner Canyon to the east with opportunities for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Draper's big employers include 1-800 Contacts and an eBay campus.

Linden which ranked 29th on CNNMoney's.com list is located just north of Provo-Orem metro area.  Linden is certainly not one of Utah's most recognized cities and probably shouldn't be with a population of just over 10,000 people but it is making noise for all the right reasons. Linden is home to 2 large tech companies, Tele-performance at USA and Symantec and has one of the lowest unemployment rates of 4.5% in the entire United States. Linden came in at #1 on the list of ease of living.

According to Outside Magazine 2013, Park City Is the Best Town in America. According to the magazine, there is no better blend of small-town friendliness, absurdly easy access and five-star culture than Park city Utah. On the downside it's a rather expensive Park Citywhen compared to most other communities in Utah. The median price home for a condo is over $400,000 and the median price home in Park City is $765,600 as of 2012. If you cannot afford to live there it is a great city to visit. It has very easy access to both downtown Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake City international Airport. Both are less than a 30 minute drive from Park City. In my opinion Park city has something magical about it. Whenever I visit Park City it always feels like Christmas regardless of the time of year. Park city offers great scenery, miles of biking and hiking trails, 3 world-class ski resorts, lots of open space and parks.

 

If you are looking for a great city in Utah to buy a home or condo please reach out to us by phone at 1-801-471-9443, email: rozierrealtygroup@gmail.com or visit us online at www.UtahRealtyGroup.com

Posted in Utah
Sept. 10, 2013

Official Site Launch

After just over a year of research and work the official website for Half Price Realty Brokers has gone live.  The website can be viewed at www.UtahRealtyBrokers.com.  It is the website's goal to provide a single point of access to every home available for sale on the Utah MLS.  When selecting a web design company to team up with it was important to us to that the listings were displayed quickly, updated daily with accurate information, easy to navigate, intuitive, informative and that the overall user experience was enjoyable.  We believe we have met our goals and that you will find our Utah real estate site to be one of the best available for searching Utah real estate.

Some of the features that we feel are most helpful when searching for a home are street views, interactive maps, schedule showings online, days since last price reduction and amount of last price reduction.  Additionally you can easily create a "basket" of saved properties for later review as well as automatic email updates should the price of a saved property change.  

It is easy to create as many saved searches as you like by inputting the criteria of your choice including location, price, style, schools, bedroom count etc. and have automatic email updates sent to you as properties come for sale matching your criteria including any price changes. Try it out!  Our goal is to try to make it as easy as possible for you to find the perfect home and access to good and reliable information is the KEY.  We are always here to help, answer questions and give advice.  Feel free to give our site a spin and then please give us your feedback.

Posted in Miscellaneuos